Abstract: A navigation system is provided for offering navigational assistance to a mobile user. The navigation system receives GPS position information signals which are processed to determine current position latitude and longitude coordinates and direction of travel. A destination database includes a plurality of categorized destinations and corresponding destination position coordinates pertaining to the destinations. The destination database is stored on an interfacable memory card and contains menu categories and subcategories for classifying the destinations and additional text information pertaining to the destinations. User selectable menu controls enable the user to sequence through the menu of categories and destinations and select a desired destination. This is easily accomplished by rotating a rotary pushbutton to view category and destination selections and depressing the rotary pushbutton to select the selection shown.

Abstract: A clip for a shift indicator cable attaches the cable to the shift bowl of a vehicle. The clip is adjustable to align the indicator pointer to indicia. The clip comprises a bracket for attachment to the shift bowl and a lever which is attached to the cable end. The lever is pivoted at one end to the bracket and has a tang at the other end for engaging any of several slots in the bracket to latch the lever in any of several positions. Changing the lever position adjusts the cable.

Abstract: A multi-chip module that incorporates multiple flip chip (16) mounted on a daughter board (12), which in turn is flip-chip mounted onto a product mother board (10). The daughter board (12) is preferably a silicon substrate having solder bump terminals (14) and at least one conductor pattern on a surface thereof. The surface of the daughter board (12) may also have conductive runners and any passive electronic components required by the module. Mounted to the conductor pattern of the daughter board (12) are the flip chips (16) having solder bump terminals (18) that are registered and soldered to the conductor pattern of the daughter board (12). The solder bump terminals (14) of the daughter board (12) are then registered and soldered to a complementary conductor pattern on the mother board (10), such that the flip chips (16) are disposed between the daughter board (12) and the mother board (10).

Abstract: A system for remotely controlling a desired door locking or other function in a vehicle or other protected environment has a transmitter and receiver for communicating a message including a sequence number, the code of a selected function to be performed and an authenticator. An algorithm in the transmitter and in the receiver has a cryptographic key and a seed code. Each algorithm generates the authenticator as a function of both the seed code and the function code; if the authenticators are equal, the message is valid. Upon each transmission the seed code is updated and the sequence number is incremented. The receiver updates its seed code according to the transmitted sequence number to keep the algorithms in synchronism. To initialize the receiver to recognize the transmitter IDs, the receiver is manually enabled for programming, a counter is set to zero, the ID is transmitted from each transmitter, each ID is stored in sequence, and the counter is incremented for each ID received.

Abstract: A method and encapsulation material are provided for processing an electronic circuit assembly having surface mount integrated circuit packages mounted with soldered leads to its substrate, in which encapsulation of the soldered lead joints serves to enhance the fatigue life of the solder joints. The encapsulation material is a reactive hot melt epoxy that is curable at temperatures significantly lower than that required for previous epoxy-based encapsulation materials. As such, processing of the circuit assembly is greatly facilitated, while the benefit of encapsulated solder joints is achieved for the assembly. The encapsulation material further includes a latent curative and a filler material for lower the coefficient of thermal expansion of the encapsulation material.

Abstract: Moisture condensed on a circuit board can cause dendritic growth which can short out a circuit. Such sensitive areas are protected from condensation by filling cavities in an assembly with insulating material to exclude moisture bearing air. Foamed plastic is molded or stamped into shapes which conform to a cavity and are inserted into the assembly. The plastic body is held against the circuit board to preclude condensation on the board. Adhesives and sealants are not required.

Abstract: Ground detection apparatus that automatically detects continuity of a safety ground of a piece of equipment. The ground detection apparatus includes test relay circuitry for determining if a ground connection is open. Comparison logic circuitry is used to generate a fault signal if the ground connection is open and to prevent the electrical equipment from being energized. Delay circuitry is used to stabilize input voltage measurements, and to test the lines for a desired time period. Latching circuitry is used to latch the fault condition, and to ensure that all delays have elapsed and no fault condition exists before the electrical equipment is energized. Optionally, the latching circuitry may be used to prevent latching in a "brownout" condition. If the equipment safety ground is not present, power is not supplied to the equipment. This prevents possible shock to a user caused by ungrounded equipment.

Abstract: An automotive video display of a scene from a camera has a graphics window to display vehicle information. A video graphics controller has a programmable synchronous generator for the graphics window which is synchronized or gen-locked with the camera or external video signal. A digital sync separator provides digital external sync signals. A start circuit monitors the external sync signals to detect the start of a video frame and starts the sync generator which is initially in synchronism with the external signal. A phase locked loop maintains the synchronism. A crystal oscillator circuit includes an inductor and a varactor which is tuned to vary the oscillator frequency enough to track the external video signal.

Abstract: An actuator for automotive HVAC control is coupled to a remote controller by two wires. The controller applies power to the actuator in a high current or a low current mode. A variable resistance driven by the actuator generates a voltage proportional to position in the low current mode. Zener diodes in the actuator circuit prevent motor operation in the low current mode and permit motor operation in the high current mode. A microprocessor in the controller selects the mode and reads the voltage in low mode to determine position. It controls the motor for a duration required to reach a desired position and then checks the new position to verify that the target has been reached. If not, another iteration is employed to reach the target.

Abstract: A connector bridges the gap between a gauge and a printed circuit on an instrument cluster case. The connector has a molded body having a base seated on the case and a crown adjacent the gauge. Apertures in the crown receive gauge terminals. Contacts molded in the body have annular heads with spring fingers in the apertures for contacting the terminals and elongated legs extending through the base to connect with the printed circuit.

Abstract: A vehicle window antenna for receiving radio waves of a predetermined wavelength comprises an electrically conducting entity affixed to the window glass having a horizontally elongate principal element having an effective horizontal length of an odd multiple of one quarter of the predetermined wavelength and an impedance matching element having a length of a multiple of one half the predetermined wavelength, extending along but spaced from the edge of the window so as to form a slot transmission line therewith, and parasitically coupled to the principal element by a connecting element. The impedance matching element is an extended ribbon which may leave most of the viewing area of the window free. Therefore, it uses significantly less of the material from which the antenna itself is made; it may be made of non-transparent as well as transparent material; and it provides great flexibility of design, with a number of different embodiments and variations.

Abstract: A circuit board has an arcuate array of conductor segments each subject to a digital waveform differing in phase for the various segments, and a concentric pickup conductor. A rotary encoder disk has a conductive pattern which sums and couples the waveforms from selected segments, depending on rotary position, to the pickup conductor. A synchronous phase detector generates a phase signal from the summed waveforms and the zero crossing of the phase signal is detected. A counter develops count signals used to generate the digital waveforms. The count signals are input to a latch which is clocked at the zero crossing point to latch the count value which is a digital measure of the encoder angle.

Abstract: Disclosed are devices having emitters having resistive emitter diffusion sections are in a radial pattern. Such devices include vertical PNP power devices. The radial pattern of holes defines resistive emitter diffusion sections between adjacent holes. The resistive emitter diffusion sections result in a lower emitter ballast resistance due to the higher emitter sheet resistance of PNP devices. This allows all the periphery of the emitter to be active, not just two sides. The device has improved emitter ballast resistance while at the same time remaining efficient with low saturation resistance.

Abstract: A method for producing components such as knobs, switches, and other controls having multiple color display graphics is disclosed. The invention is particularly applicable to the production of graphics that are backlit for night time viewing. In one embodiment, a substrate is initially formed from a light-colored translucent polymeric material. A relatively dark-colored coating is provided on a surface of the translucent substrate, followed by removal of a portion of the coating from the substrate by laser etching to produce on a surface of the component a graphic comprising the material of the substrate. A translucent dye is transferred to the surface of the component by a sublimation dying process. The dye is visible on the graphic, but is either not present or not visible on the remaining surface portion of the component.

Abstract: An optical sensor system for measuring the approximate three-dimensional profile and position of an object. A reduced to practice embodiment of the optical sensor system has been used to measure the three-dimensional profile and position of an object within a range of 40 inches to 2 inches with high accuracy and high update rates (>1 KHz). The sensor system generates a set of optical beams using a projection lens and multiple light emitting diodes (LED) located in a back focal plane of the projection lens. The position of each LED determines the angle of a beam transmitted thereby. By turning on each LED sequentially in time, a set of beams is generated at various angles that illuminates the object to produce a set of spots on the object. The range from each LED to each of the spatially-separated illuminated spots on the object is determined by imaging the spots onto a two-dimensional transverse-effect photodiode.

Abstract: A circuit board has an arcuate array of conductor segments each subject to a digital waveform differing in phase for the various segments, and a concentric pickup conductor. A rotary encoder disk has a conductive pattern which sums and couples the waveforms from selected segments, depending on rotary position, to the pickup conductor. A synchronous phase detector generates a phase signal from the summed waveforms and the zero crossing of the phase signal is detected. A counter develops count signals used to generate the digital waveforms. The count signals are input to a latch which is clocked at the zero crossing point to latch the count value which is a digital measure of the encoder angle. Two encoders mounted on orthogonal horizontal axes are used as an accelerometer or attitude sensor. Each disk is eccentrically weighted to seek a position vertically below the axis to serve as an attitude sensor when the unit is stationary.

Abstract: An adaptive learning system for adapting the frequency setting and volume level of a vehicle radio in response to a vehicle operator's preference of radio stations and volume levels for a particular time of day. A microprocessor is responsive to the frequency settings and volume level of the radio as set by the vehicle operator with respect to specific time intervals of the day. The microprocessor will establish a list of priority radio stations dependent on how often the vehicle operator selects the radio frequencies during each specific interval and an average volume level of the radio. The system will then automatically set the radio frequency and volume level based on the vehicle operator's priorities at vehicle start-up with respect to the current time of day.

Abstract: An IC voltage clamp and a process for forming the voltage clamp. The voltage clamp includes an MGFO device having an n-type source region, an n-type drain region, and a p-type field implant diffusion between the source and drain regions. The voltage clamp further employs a parasitic NPN device having a collector region coincident with the MGFO drain region, an emitter region coincident with the MGFO source region, and a base region formed by the substrate. A metal gate electrode overlies and is insulated from the field implant diffusion, but electrically connects the source and emitter regions to ground. An input electrode contacts the drain region so as to electrically connect the drain and collector regions to the input voltage of an integrated circuit. The field implant diffusion and drain/collector regions are formed by overlapping their masks, such that a lower breakdown voltage is achieved between the NPN collector and the substrate and field implant diffusion (the NPN base).

Abstract: Head up display apparatus comprises an image source for projecting an image that is to be displayed, a head up display projection unit, and a combiner for reflecting an image that is viewable. The image source projects an image that is to be displayed. The projection unit comprises a double-reflecting primary mirror that receives the image projected by the image source, and a secondary correcting mirror that receive the image reflected from the primary mirror. The secondary correcting mirror reflects the image back onto the primary mirror, and this image is reflected out of the projection unit to the combiner, which reflects the image that is displayed to a viewer. The dual-mirror, triple-reflection design of the present allows it to be smaller than equivalent designs that do not incorporate a mirror arrangement that provides for double-reflection of the projected image from the primary mirror. The projection unit essentially operates as a three-element design, but contains only two optical elements.

Abstract: An automatic ion residue monitoring and testing system that has a particular application to quantify ionic residue on a printed circuit board. The monitoring system is a stand-alone unit that includes a purification system for providing deionized water. Deionized water from purification system is heated and sent to an extraction tank where it is held in a controlled quantity. A printed circuit board is placed in the extraction tank and the heated deionized water is caused to circulate through the extraction tank so as to remove ionic contamination on the circuit board. The system then automatically extracts a controlled quantity of now ionized water from the extraction tank and sends it to an ion chromatograph. The ion chromatograph tests the contaminated water, and provides a readout of the level of ionic contamination in the water.